Meat Selection: First & foremost, the term Prime Rib is actually a bit misleading, as all cuts of Prime Rib are not USDA Prime Grade (approx. 2% of all beef is graded Prime). This primal cut, removed from the cattle’s rib section (see infographic below – yellow highlighted component) is also commonly referred to as Standing Rib Roast. Although, Prime Grade is more flavorful & tender, I’ve never met a cut of Prime Rib that I didn’t LOVE.

Be selective in purchasing your rack, as you may allocate $50-350 (or more) for a rack of ribs. Color of the raw beef should be bright red with milky white fat. Look for even distribution of marbling throughout the beef with thick, but trimmed end-cap of fat. Bone-in is preferred due to its capacity to impart additional flavor & insulate meat in roasting process (On special request, your butcher will carve the meat from the bone, then tie back the meat onto the bone – In many instances this is the best of both worlds). Last, but not least, size matters with Prime Rib – Large portions are more forgiving in the roasting process, allowing more room for error in cooking times & temperatures.

NOTE: Save yourself a truck-load of time – Know & make best friend’s with your local butcher – That individual is as indispensable as your most trusted auto-mechanic, family physician, or MENSA-qualified financial advisor. Trust this person to point you in the right direction, particularly when considering the purchase of Prime Grade Prime Rib!How Much Meat is Enough Meat:Rib roasts are purchased, “by the rib,” with traditional roasts having between 3-7 ribs. Each rib of the roast supports 2 massive slabs of succulent, well-marbled beef – More than enough meat for 2 people.

If available, request the “shorter ribs” on the rack – Smaller, incrementally leaner portions of the rack, particularly as compared to the fattier chuck end of ribs.

Start With The End In Mind:Consider time table from soup to nuts. Purchase meat 10-14 days in prior to your feast – If frozen upon purchase, allow 2-3 additional days for thawing. Dry age beef 10-14 days. Rest 2-4 hours at room temperature before cooking. Allow 1 hour for preparation. Cooking 2-4 hours. Rest 20-30 minutes before serving.

Min Total Timetable: 10 days. 8 hours. 30 minutes.

Max Total Timetable: 17 days. 8 hours. 30 minutes.

How to Simply Dry Age Beef at Home – From Butcher to 5-Star Steakhouse-Quality Prime Rib:

Pull the loose twine ends together and tie a tight double knot, snug enough to hold firm, but loose enough to ensure the meat is not pierced during the roasting process.

Seasoning:The key here is imparting flavor & encrusting the beef’s exterior during roasting process – Although salt is a critical component of the rub, be conservative in application & mindful of timing. Massage dry rub into beef moments prior to cooking, as salt draws out moisture from internal portions of the beef, presenting additional risk in your effort to serve a flavorful, moist cut of meat.

Cook to Temperature, NOT Time:Beef is prepared to medium-rare at an internal temperature of 135°F; medium at 140°-145°F. But, meat’s internal temperature continues to raise another 7-10F over the 15 minutes following removal from the oven. For best results:

Employ use of a digital read internal temperature thermometer to gauge cooking process.

Remove the prime rib from the oven @ 120-125°F for medium-rare & 130-135°F for medium.

Prime Rib Roast – Cooking & Internal Temperature Guide:

Rare

Serving Temperature: 120-125F

Remove from Oven @ 110-115F

Center – Bright red

Exterior – Pinkish toward edges

Medium-Rare

Serving Temperature: 130-135F

Remove from Oven @ 120-125F

Center – Pink

Exterior – Lightly browned

Medium

Serving Temperature: 140-145F

Remove from Oven @ 130-135F

Center – Light pink

Exterior – Deep browning

Medium-Well

N/A

N/A

Well

N/A

N/A

Relax, Drink Wine & Do NOT Touch That Beef – Under ANY Circumstances:After 3-stage roasting, remove from oven & tent the meat with tin foil for 15-20 minutes before carving, allowing the meat to relax & internal, denatured protein fibers to reabsorb their natural juices.

Tools of the Trade – The Checklist:

Large rimmed sheet pan & rack, big enough for a whole roast, but small enough to fit in refrigerator

Prepping the Prime Rib: Place rack on a cutting board & slide kitchen twine under the meat rack, parallel to rib bones – Both in between each rib & on either end of the roast. Pull loose twine ends together firmly & tie knot. Rub a liberal degree of herb mixture into entire surface of the roast.

Wrap the meat tightly in plastic & set on counter for 2-4 hours, allowing the rack to uniformly rise to room temperature.

Serving: With a carving fork & knife, remove the bone component from the meat. Lay the meat with fat cap up & thinly slice the beef across the grain. Plate the beef & drizzle prepared Cabernet Au Jus over beef, garnish & serve.

Notes

Start With The End In Mind: Consider time table from soup to nuts. Purchase meat 10-14 days in prior to your feast – If frozen upon purchase, allow 2-3 additional days for thawing. Dry age beef 10-14 days. Rest 2-4 hours at room temperature before cooking. Allow 1 hour for preparation. Cooking 2-4 hours. Rest 20-30 minutes before serving.

Step Two – Serve those boring finger foods & bland sodium snacks to neighbors you don’t like, stray animals, anyone you know that doesn’t return their shopping cart to the cart corral after shopping, acquaintances who wear BlueTooth headsets as fashion accessories, &/or people who talk in the third person. Ya know – just some ideas.

Step Three – If your intention is to be the patriarch of your cast iron grill grates – it’s time to make a statement & gear up your game – nothing sizzles on the patio like a white-hot grill loaded with massive hunks of tender, well-marbled & fire-encrusted New York strip steaks, double-thick T-bones, or cowboy-cut Rib eyes. Long & Short… Buy beef + grill beef.

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David Olson is a nationally-recognized American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef, television personality and social network influencer, award-winning recipe developer, live fire grill master, international adventurer, and the creator behind, “LiveFire Republic”…

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